Now that Chuseok is over, we’re right in the middle of autumn. Only about three months remain in year 2021 and people tend to become rather antsy thinking about how quickly a year has gone by and what have or have not been achieved. Korean danga “Sacheolga사철가,” or “The Song of Four Seasons,” is a song that many people can relate to. 

It must be spring now that flowers bloom in the mountains near and far.

The spring has arrived but the world is forlorn.

I was young yesterday but am sadly old today.

Life can be meaningless when time flies by. Life is too short to spend worrying about the things that you cannot help or hating people, so the best thing to do is appreciate the time you have with loved ones and do things you love. That is the song’s message. Danga is usually performed by a singer to relax before starting a long pansori piece. Today a fusion gugak group named Sori Flower performs “The Song of Four Seasons.”

The Song of Four Seasons/ Sung by Sori Flower

Autumn skies in Korea are clear and sparkling blue. But fall night skies can be quite romantic with a flock of geese flying against the backdrop of the silver moon. In the old days autumn nights were a perfect setting for people to enjoy sailing on the river. Some sailing events involved dozens of boats carrying musicians and singers and gisaengs기생 to entertain noblemen. But such activities merely boasted of a nobleman’s wealth and power, never a testament to his artistic taste. Seonbi or gentlemen of the old believed that real pungryu풍류 or appreciation of arts had more to do with simplicity, not ostentatious bragging. For instance, two or three good friends could sail out in a small boat and share a bottle of wine while reciting a poem or discussing a philosophical idea. The song we’re about to hear describes just such a scene. Titled “Woljeongmyeong월정명,” this sijo poem conjures up an image of a cool autumn night with gentle waves lapping against a boat and the bright moon reflected on the river surface. A gentleman on the boat whimsically asks his errand boy to fetch the moon from the water so that he can take a closer look. Most sijo poems sound rather despondent, but “Woljeongmyeong” is an usijo우시조 piece, which should be sung in a composed voice. Today’s version is sung by Lee Yun-jin with piano accompaniment. 

Woljeongmyeong/ Sung by Lee Yun-jin

There is another song about the moon from the Baekje백제 period. It’s titled “Jeongeupsa정읍사,” for it originated from the town of Jeongeup정읍 in Jeollabuk-do전라북도 Province. A wife who waits for her merchant husband’s safe return offers a prayer to the moon. The lyrics go something like this. 

Oh, dear moon, rise higher to shine your light far and wide.

I’m worried that my husband would fall into a mud pit while walking on a dark road.

This song was passed down to the Goryeo period and played in the royal court as well. But it got lost during the Joseon era and only the melody is remembered to this day. The melody was renamed “Sujecheon수제천” which was played for the crown prince on important royal ceremonies. Today we’ll hear the geomungo adaptation of “Jeongeupsa” titled “Dalha,” performed by geomungo ensemble Geomeun거믄 and Kang Kwon-soon. 

Dalha/ Music by Geomeun, sung by Kang Kwon-soon